Inauguration to the Pleasure Dome

Film review

Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome is a 38-minute short film by Kenneth Anger, filmed in 1954

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_d7zcckIwA

This is an obscure visual performance that depicts sexuality, religion and its place thought history.The film uses music to set the pace and feeling during the entire length without any speech from the actors. Jewellery and opulence are abundant throughout, with strong use of colours to help show the class system within society. Whilst watching you will see subliminal messages or objects to help the medium set its story.

From my view the film explains how sexuality and homosexuality has been demonised over the centuries to be dirty and disgusting during the 1950’s. Pharaohs, emperors and men in the 18th century who would wear white makeup as a mark of social status, and this visual is portrayed throughout the film.

Being homosexual during the 50’s was deemed illegal; the second world war had ended and America was trying to rebuild itself.

Wishing to create the dream of the perfect family environment and give hope to the people.

I believe the acceptance of homosexuality played against the medium the government was trying to portray, so in their ignorance they demonised it. The work is a story telling of how acceptance can by swayed depending on who is in charge at the time.

Same gender sex had been part of history and a lot of different cultures deemed it the norm.

The film itself is brilliant for its time, provoking ideas and being extremely dangerous to produce during this time period for the fear of attack or even death. I feel it could have got the same point across in a shorter film maybe around the twenty-five-minute mark. But the time scale takes nothing away from the use of very good editing and visual trick’s.